Teaching tools have existed since educational efforts were first organized and vary from the crude to the exotic. As the exotic levels are approached a transition begins from the teaching tool area into the area of educational devices.
The first teaching tool may have been a stick for scratching marks on the ground. In certain circumstances sticks are still used as effective teaching tools.
Current technology provides some educational devices that are very objective and highly sophisticated. Such equipment basically seeks to eliminate humanistic variations from the teaching process.
Generally speaking it can be assumed that educational devices are configured for standard presentations in a nonvariable manner. Teaching tools, on the other hand, can be asummed to be readily variable and configured to present subjective material in accordance with teacher perceived student needs. The transitional zone between teaching tools and educational devices is relatively broad. Within such transitional zone can be found mechanisms such as represented by the following listed U.S. patents.
______________________________________ Number Date of Issue Inventor Title ______________________________________ 3,382,588 May 14, 1968 R. Serrell Response Expression Apparatus for Teaching Machine 3,516,176 June 23, 1970 A. Cleary Touch Detecting Teaching Machine 3,477,143 Nov. 11, 1969 Aumann Electrical Teaching Machine 3,579,857 May 25, 1971 Lamberson Electric Teaching Device 3,699,668 Oct. 24, 1972 Tesar Instruction Device With Interchangeable Indicia Cards 3,704,337 Nov. 28, 1972 Sims Tactile Response Teaching System 3,696,525 Oct. 10, 1972 Cleary Touch Detecting Teaching Machine 3,729,838 May 1, 1973 Adcock Educational and Recreational Device 3,757,322 Sept 4, 1973 Barkan Transparent Touch Controlled Interface with Interreactively Related Display 3,763,574 Oct. 9, 1973 Rose Educational Apparatus 3,795,989 Mar. 12, 1974 Greenburg Education Apparatus 3,800,437 Apr. 2, 1974 Lamberson Educational Apparatus 3,818,610 June 25, 1974 Baba Study Aid 3,864,848 Feb. 11, 1975 Smith Learner Feedback Device 3,955,290 May 11, 1976 Filer Learning Devices 4,073,068 Feb. 14, 1978 Albenda Teaching Light ______________________________________
It is to be noted that these inventions are considered to be descriptive of the background of the instant invention but are not deemed to be prior art. The listed patents are considered to be within the transitional area between teaching tools and educational devices and the instant invention is considered as being outside of the transitional area and within the field of teaching tools.
The background of the invention introduces the utilization of electrical and electronic technology into learning situations and exemplifies the patentable distinctions found to exist between each to all others and, by implication, defines that which is not obvious in consideration of other inventions when viewed in isolation or conjunction.